America as a Welfare State

             

America as a Welfare State

By Dennis Pulley

                                   

Welfare was meant to be a temporary hand-up.                           Not A way of life.

                         

                        What happened? Why do we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of by our own citizens?

     We’ve grown use to

the dysfunction           

 of some of our largest political and social authorities and we have become immune to the effects that it has had on nearly all aspects of fundamental American values and beliefs. The attitude and social norms of being an American have been drastically altered in a very short span of time due to the near vertical split of our population on issues of Social Welfare programs and the investment taxpayers put into it.

Pride

       America has long been “The Land of Opportunity” and the ideal that hard work can be the great equalizer. That anyone willing to put in the effort would be rewarded with success. That a country of misfits and cast-offs sacrificed all to bring the most diverse populations together in a common goal. Freedom. This is a great source of national pride and for 175 years Americans of all backgrounds, class and color, had this in common. Flags were always saluted on their way up the pole every morning and observed in silence as it was lowered each evening. 30 years ago, an American flag left flying overnight or in the rain would have attracted some unwanted attention to say the least. National pride was at peak levels across the income brackets, political affiliations were mildly partisan based and this continued for decades. Enter the 1970’s which saw a steady increase of income inequality.  America witnessed almost parallel transformations of both its economic structure and the nature of its political conflict..(Poole, Keith T.)  

            The Middle Class as known throughout the 20^th century slowly ceased to be. It didn’t happen overnight, but America’s economic system has drastically changed.   Between 1992 and 2008 the rising generation (those between 20 and 30)found that the manner of achieving the American Dream of upward mobility had changed completely. The model that Americans had out so much time into, the model that had been studied for over a century, no longer worked. Shrinking world markets, bad economic policy or just the effects of 175 years of prosperity, all took their tolls on half of our population. This has incited dissent of the policy makers and finger pointing from the bottom earning half.

         Wealth is still being maintained quite easily in the upper echelons due to the near zero interest rates. Inflation alone will keep those well off enough to borrow in the black with little effort. This further divides the two classes as implementation of this type of fiscal policy only benefits those with access to large sums of money! There is no trickle down as this is either used for imports or spent on Wall Street, Those who need it the most have been excluded and are freed from the guilt of pursuing any and all tax backed subsidies available. The dynamics of the present economy for the poorer half of America are fluid and hinge upon Niche marketing  and opportunistic transactions. This is a recipe for Boom and Bust on the micro-level creating an economic environment that policy can’t yet quantify let alone react to. It’s an entirely different market than current poverty line policy addresses. Average household earnings have fallen, therefore welfare has exploded. Nearly 4.75% of GDP went to social programs in 2010 which is about 40% higher than the historical averages and still growing. The stigma has been slowly and quietly disappearing for two decades and a culture of  working the system has formed. This has driven a wedge between the two classes that will become more difficult to overcome with every passing year. Many depend on government subsidies for their housing and food and have become permanent fixtures in these programs. Their only job is to meet criteria.  Recipients of state or federal aid are now raising children that follow the exact same path. 

       America’s lower class has fallen into anomie and American pride is

Word!


         gone for the majority of its citizens. 

     

     We are now divided 49% to 51% on nearly every issue. All upward movement from below will soon disappear as those nearing retirement age are the last of the middle class. The is but one logical conclusion to this if it goes on much longer:  Shantytowns in every city. Starvation, disease and crime will rise to levels of a third world nation. Subsidies can not go on forever. The upper class bears the brunt as it’s still thought of as a helping hand  to those temporarily down on their luck. It’s an investment in the recipients themselves and no one believes that it’s paying off for anyone let alone for America herself.. Programs like Section 8 and SNAP have created a great deal of animosity towards recipients from above and the  economic policy legislation and the standard practice of American corporations to take the money made from cheap government loans and free trade agreements and move it offshore has moved the rest of the country against the upper earners.There is currently a 3 year waiting list for Section 8 here in Hampton and  every slot gets filled. It’s hard to invest in someone that has not found the means after 3 years. State, local and federal governments are among the country’s largest hiring bodies and it would just make sense to provide career opportunities in lieu of a handout..             

     During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, local and state governments along with private charities were overwhelmed by needy families seeking food, clothing and shelter. In 1935, welfare for poor children and other dependent persons became a federal responsibility.( Bria 143) In 2014 nearly 35% of Americans were receiving welfare in one form or another. The highest percentage to date..  .
 

  Only we can fix this. An entire culture  has been formed with the need to exploit the system for its survival. Recipients have made full-time jobs of remaining eligible for these social programs and is passed down from generation to generation. This needs to be changed. Starting with our young people.